Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr

Latest Episodes:

Genèse / Genesis (2018) Aug 20, 2024

Show notes

Brenna and Joe tackle one last Canadian text in 2024 and it's a doozy: Quebecois filmmaker Philippe Lesage's Genesis (2018). C/W: Sexual assault

This is a challenging triptych, filled with difficult characters, as well as slow & methodical pacing. It also doesn't end in a conventional sense or with any catharsis, which means it's quite a polarizing text!

What does Brenna make of this and does Joe still like it as much on a second watch?

References:

> Sophie Hacsek. "Exclusive Interview with Philippe Lesage: As Long As There’s Movement, There Is Hope." Art Here Art Now

> Eric Lavallée. "IONCINEPHILE of the Month: Philippe Lesage – Genèse (Genesis)" Ion Cinema

> Justine Smith. "‘Creating characters that have inner lives’: Philippe Lesage on Genèse" Seventh Row

> Seventh Row Podcast. "Ep. 50: Canadian YA Films" (Behind Paywall)

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Under The Bridge feat. Lindsay Traves Aug 13, 2024

Show notes

Brenna and Joe collect fellow Canadian Lindsay Traves to discuss Under The Bridge, the murder of Reena Virk and its contemporary (Emmy-nominated) TV series.

We have *a lot* to say about both texts, which feature heavily fictionalized events and characters, including the roles played by stars Riley Keogh and Lily Gladstone.

Plus: bizarre creative choices, Reddit sleuths and true crime, a questionable queer romance, and a great debate about Canadians and shoes!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

> Lindsay: @smashtraves (Instagram)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mailbag 40: Australian Place(lessness) Aug 09, 2024

Show notes

Brenna and Joe revisit the idea of place(lessness) thanks to Australian listener Neera's email about two recent YA romances: Dancing Barefoot by Alice Boyle (good) and Unnecessary Drama by Nina Kenwood (scrubbed clean).

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Skins Series 1: Episode 9 Aug 06, 2024

Show notes

Brenna and Joe are ready to wrap up Series 1 of Skins, but we're having a few issues with this finale.

Is this a redemption arc for Tony? Is the depiction of mental health still dangerous? Is Cassie going to be ok? And how to interpret Anwar's father's reaction to Maxxie's queerness?

It's not quite the end we want, but give us the cast singing "Mad World" any day! Oh, and stay tuned for the longest string of Outtakes we've ever had!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Backspot (2023) Jul 30, 2024

Show notes

Brenna and Joe return to Canada for a reprieve on "the kids aren't alright" summer with D.W. Waterson's feature directorial debut, Backspot (2023).

Starring HKHSPod fave Devery Jacobs, this exceptionally queer film focuses on the athleticism of the gymnastics, though Brenna is frustrated at its placelessness.

Plus: strong performances from Jacobs and Evan Rachel Wood, advertising for Cineplex Odeon movie theaters, and a discomforting new form of self-harm (C/W)

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Skins Series 1: Episodes 7 & 8 Jul 23, 2024

Show notes

Brenna and Joe close in on the end of S01 of Skins with episodes on Michelle and Effy (kinda) as the show becomes a wild fever dream!

Up for discussion: cheering on Michelle and Sid, hating Tony, critiques about the depiction of mental illness, more laments about Chris, and what we want from the finale.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mailbag 39: Revolutionary Recommendations and Pregnancy Pauses Jul 19, 2024

Show notes

Before providing an update on future programming (in anticipation of Brenna's new baby!), we list listener Tea, Books, and Chocolate's recommendations for texts that deal with sexism and classism, including:

> Protector of the Small quartet by Tamora Pierce

> The Farsala Trilogy by Hilari Bell

> A Matter of Profit by Hilari Bell

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Monster Calls Jul 16, 2024

Show notes

Ready to cry? Brenna and Joe discuss Patrick Ness' surprising A Monster Calls (2011) and J.A. Boyana's 2016 film adaptation.

These texts are both beautiful and emotionally devastating, which means we both cried A LOT.

Plus: Sigourney Weaver as a British grandma, Tom Holland's secret role, Jim Kay's beautiful illustrations, and debating why the film flopped so hard in North America.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mailbag 38: Filing The Serial Numbers Off Jul 12, 2024

Show notes

Brenna and Joe respond to listener Tea, Books, and Chocolate about how "filing the serial numbers off" of source material can lead to more successful fan fiction (see: our episode on Like Real People Do).

Plus: listener Miriam's disappointment in that episode, and a few more responses to To Kill A Mockingbird.

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Skins Series 1: Episodes 5 & 6 Jul 09, 2024

Show notes

Our summer series on Skins continues and Brenna & Joe are ready to call it: Tony is irredeemable.

Between his public show of embarrassing Michelle in episode five and then sexually manipulating Maxxie in episode six, there's no saving this character.

Plus: Maxxie and Anwar's relationship, Russian stereotypes, girls punching people, and a swear-y Peter Capaldi!

Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:

> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)

> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)

Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com

Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.